CBI registers case against former JNPT official, others in Rs 800 crore project fraud
The case involves accusations of criminal conspiracy between JNPA officials and private entities during the awarding and execution of contracts meant to deepen the navigational channel at Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai.
ANI
Jun 21, 2025 07:42 IST
New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the former Chief Manager of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and several private firms and individuals for allegedly causing a loss of over Rs 800 crore to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) through irregularities in a capital dredging project.
The case involves accusations of criminal conspiracy between JNPA officials and private entities during the awarding and execution of contracts meant to deepen the navigational channel at Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai.
As per a release, the CBI has registered a case on 18.06.2025 against the then Chief Manager, (PP WD) of JNPT and private persons/entities on allegation that criminal conspiracy was hatched amongst JNPA officials and private persons/entities, which caused a loss of over Rs. 800 Crores to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority in contracts awarded to a consortium of Mumbai based private company and another Chennai based private company under a Capital Dredging Project for increasing the depth of Navigational Channel to facilitate entry of vessels to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nhava Sheva, Mumbai.
The CBI said in its release that a private consulting company acted as the project management consultant for JNPA for the said project.
"It was alleged that during the maintenance of Dredged channels in Phase-I of the project, JNPA made excess payments aggregating to Rs. 365.90 Crores to the contractors against claims raised for over dredging of channels. However, in Phase-II of the project, which overlapped with the maintenance period of Phase-I, JNPT made an additional excess payment of Rs. 438 Crores to the contractor, showing that no over dredging was done in Phase-I or maintenance period thereof," the CBI said.
"Searches were conducted at residential premises of Officers of JNPA and Consulting company and offices of accused private companies at 05 places in Mumbai and Chennai which led to recovery of a number of documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices and documents showing investments made by public servants," the CBi said, adding that the documents recovered are being examined and that investigation in the matter is continuing. (ANI)
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